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New treatment could help those with Crohn's, colitis

By Staff, AFP

Posted:
08/23/2013 05:13:42 PM MDT

Updated:
08/25/2013 01:14:43 PM MDT

Vedolizumab, an intravenous antibody medication, offers new hope for the approximately four million people who suffer from the auto-immune diseases, say researchers who led two clinical trials, the results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Getty Images) (Medioimages/Photodisc)

A new treatment could offer relief to those with the inflammatory bowel conditions Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to findings published Wednesday in the United States.

Vedolizumab, an intravenous antibody medication, offers new hope for the approximately four million people who suffer from the auto-immune diseases, say researchers who led two clinical trials, the results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The treatment resulted in remission and allowed patients to stop taking prednisone, a drug with ample side effects used to treat both diseases.

"The two trials showed highly encouraging results for patients suffering from moderate to severe Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis when conventional therapy such as steroids, immune suppressive drugs" and other drugs failed, said William Sandborn of the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who led the Crohn's study.

"These latest findings will potentially lead to a new drug therapy that will improve a patient's overall lifestyle," Sandborn said.

Vedolizumab, created by Japan's Takeda laboratory, blocks immune system cells that release proteins called cytokines that trigger inflammation, causing diarrhea and tissue damage in the small intestine and colon.

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The medication could help patients avoid the weight gain, nausea and headaches associated with other treatments for the diseases.

Patients could also forgo the steroids and immunosuppressive medication that put them at risk for infection.